Vest for cooling or warming the user

ABSTRACT

A body temperature-adjusting vest which includes a plurality of generally rectangular pockets in each of which is housed at least one cooling and/or warming gel pack capable, when activated, of transferring heat between its contents and the wearer&#39;s body. The pockets themselves are part of a wide, belt-like, generally symmetrical array worn snugly about the torso. Side-by-side pockets form the array&#39;s mid-section where the vest&#39;s gel packs are concentrated. Additional pockets are connected to, but spaced apart from, the mid-section by elasticized side bands which pass under the armpits and can be stretched slightly, pressing each pocket against the torso. Reversible in that the array and shoulder straps supporting it can be quickly repositioned and worn with the mid-section in front or back, the vest can reduce a wearer&#39;s exposure to changing wind directions and the like.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a non-provisional application of the earlier filedprovisional application, Ser. No. 61/630,362, filed Dec. 9, 2011, andclaims the benefit of the priority of the filing date of Dec. 9, 2011,pursuant to 35 U.S.C. Sec. 119(e).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to articles of clothing and morespecifically to such articles which a person can wear to keep himselfcool in hot weather and warm in winter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide, in combination, avest with large pockets and a plurality of gel packs, at least one ofwhich is housed within each of the pockets during use, each gel pack,when activated, absorbing heat energy for hours or, alternately,releasing heat energy over comparable time intervals, thereby helpingthe vest wearer to cool off in hot weather and warm up in winter.

A further object is to provide such a combination in which cooling gelpacks, when the vest is used for cooling, can be activated by placingthem in a freezer. Alternately, when the vest is used for warming,warming gel packs can be activated by heating them in a microwave ovenor the like.

A still further object is to provide such a combination in which warminggel packs, rather than being activated by warming them in a microwaveoven or the like, can be activated just by opening the gel pack's outerpackaging wrapper and then shaking the gel pack itself and its contents.

The improved vest, which, in use, is fitted snugly about a wearer'supper torso, includes a plurality of generally rectangular pockets andfirst and second elasticized side bands. The pockets and the side bandsare interconnected in such a way as to form an elongated, generallysymmetrical array, the mid-section of which is spanned by at least twopockets, each contiguous pair of pockets in the mid-section beingaligned side-by-side and perpendicularly to the array's center-line.Distal ends of the first and second side bands are connected to themid-section and to first and second pockets, respectively, which, inuse, are spaced apart from the mid-section. Moreover, in the preferredembodiment, the first and second pockets themselves are also spacedapart in use, preferably interconnected by a safety release buckle orthe like and a pair of straps attached thereto and to the first andsecond pockets, respectively.

The pockets in the vest are dimensioned so that each of them can befitted with at least one gel pack selected from a wide variety ofheating and/or cooling gel packs. In those embodiments in which thepockets are sufficiently large that individual pockets can be fittedwith more than one gel pack at a time, the wearer can augment the heattransfer capacity of those gel pack(s) initially fitted into such apocket with additional gel pack(s) activated hours later, therebysustaining the vest's capacity to transfer heat energy over longer timeintervals than would otherwise be possible.

Closure of each pocket is preferably achieved with the use of a Velcro®fastener or equivalent such as a zipper, buttons or snaps. Alternately,one can fit an individual pocket initially with its capacity of gelpack(s) and sew the pocket closed.

All exposed layers of the vest's pockets are preferably fabricated froma water resistant cloth, such as a treated cotton, polyester, nylon orthe like. Contiguous with the vest's outer cloth layer is a liner, whichfunctions as an insulator. Formed of a heat-reflective material such asthat described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,452,833, the liner is employed toconserve some of the stored energy in the gel packs.

In addition to the straps which attach the safety release buckle or thelike to the first and second pockets, the vest preferably also includesfirst and second shoulder straps connected by a combination dual-slottedfastener and short strap loop to the center of the upper edge of thefirst and second pockets, respectively. Sized to go over the shoulder ofthe user, the first and second straps terminate proximate with the upperedge of the mid-section and are connected thereto at spaced apartlocations, separated by a distance comparable to the width of one of themid-section's individual pockets.

The vest, in the preferred embodiment, is also provided with means foradjusting the respective lengths of both the first and second shoulderstraps as well as of at least one of the straps employed to attach thesafety release buckle to the first and second pockets, so that not onlycan the vest be secured snugly about the user's upper torso but also thewearer can move the vest up and down, as needed, over a substantialdistance to warm or, alternately, to cool selected areas of his body.

Further enhancing the usefulness of the vest is the fact that it can beworn with the mid-section held either next to the wearer's back or infront of his chest, so that a user can can reposition the vest to adjustfor changing wind directions and temperatures which be may experiencewhile he is engaged in such outdoor activities as running a foot race,sitting in a deer stand and the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a frontal view of the improved vest as it is being wornbuckled together across a wearer's chest.

FIG. 2 shows a back view of the vest according to FIG. 1 as the vest isbeing worn with its mid-section held next to the wearer's back.

FIG. 3 shows a top view of the vest with the clasp elements of itssafety release buckle fully engaged, fastening it together.

FIG. 4 shows a top view of the vest with its safety release buckleunfastened.

FIG. 5 shows the vest laid flat, as on a table, with the outer clothlayer of the vest's pockets in an up position.

FIG. 6 shows the vest laid flat, as on a table, with the inner clothlayer of the vest's pockets in an up position.

FIG. 7 is a closeup view, on an enlarged scale, of a fragmentary portionof the vest according to FIG. 1, in which each of the mid-section'spockets has been opened to receive a gel pack, with a gel pack beingshown partially inserted into one of the open pockets.

FIG. 8 is a closeup view, on a further enlarged scale, of a conventionalgel pack.

FIG. 9 is a closeup view, on an enlarged scale, of a fragmentary portionof the vest according to FIG. 1, in which one of the mid-section'spockets has been opened to receive a gel pack and the other pocket hasbeen sealed, with the gel pack being shown partially inserted into theopen pocket.

FIG. 10 is a closeup view, on a further enlarged scale, of a fragmentaryportion of the vest according to FIG. 1, in which are shown interiorsurfaces of one of the vest's pockets as well as the placement of theinsulator liner contiguous with the vest's outer cloth layer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the drawings, the improved vest is indicated generally by thereference numeral 10. Included in the vest 10 are a plurality ofgenerally rectangular pockets 11-14 and a pair of elasticized side bands15, 16, which are interconnected so as to form an elongated, generallysymmetrical array (FIGS. 5 and 6). Pockets 11, 12 form a contiguous pairdefined by the vest's mid-section 20 and are disposed side-by-side witheach other, spanning the mid-section 20 longitudinally. Side bands 15,16, which are attached to the pockets 11, 12, respectively, both connectthe mid-section 20 to the pockets 13, 14 and space it apart from them.The pockets 13, 14, each of which is situated proximate with one of thearray's terminal ends, are preferably interconnected in use by a safetyrelease buckle 25 with clasp elements 35,36 attached to them by anadjustable strap 26 and a strap loop 24, respectively (FIGS. 3 and 4).

Each pocket 11-14 is sized so that at least one of any one of a widevariety of heating and/or cooling gel packs 30 can be housed within it.To accommodate a side-by-side alignment of the two pockets 11, 12 in themid-section 20, into each pocket of which at least one such gel pack 30can be fitted, the mid-section itself, in the preferred embodiment,measures about 12 inches in length by about 7 inches in width, with eachof the pockets 11, 12 measuring about 7 inches by 6 inches. In addition,each pocket 13, 14 preferably also has approximately the same overalldimensions as does the individual pocket 11 or 12.

Examples of heating gel packs 30 which can be housed, more than one at atime, within a pocket 11-14 include the products known as HotHands andModel HH2, both of which are manufactured by HeatMax Inc. of Dalton, Ga.30733. The model HH2 gel pack 30 comes with an outer packaging wrapper(not shown) and is of special interest because of the ease with which itcan be activated and the fact that it has been found to perform well forhours in the vest 10. Indeed, this gel pack 30 is activated just byremoving its outer packaging wrapper and then shaking the gel packitself and its contents. Each HotHands gel pack, on the other hand,needs to be heated in a microwave oven or the like in order to activateit.

Examples of cooling gel packs 30 which can be readily fitted into thepockets 11-14 include the Ice-Brik Model IB3, which measures 5 incheslong by 2.5 inches wide by 0.5 inch thick, and which is manufactured byPolar Industries, Inc. Activation of this cooling gel pack 30 entailsplacing it in a freezer.

An example of a gel pack (not shown) which, depending upon whether it isactivated by freezing or, alternately, by being warmed in a microwaveoven or the like, can be used either for cooling or warming,respectively, is available commercially in the form of hot and coldmulti-purpose compresses.

Generally, the gel packs must be charged just prior to each use, whetheror not they are removably housed in the pockets 11-14 of a vest 10.

As is best illustrated in FIGS. 7, 9 and 10, each pocket 11-14preferably includes two water resistant cloth layers 41, 42 and a liner40 of heat-reflective insulation material which is disposed contiguouswith the inside surface of the pocket's outer layer 41. The liner 40, sodeployed, reduces heat energy transfer between gel pack(s) 30 housedwithin a pocket 11-14 and the environment in general. The inner clothlayer 42, on the other hand, is free of any such insulating liner and,in use, is preferably held snugly against the user's torso, separatedtherefrom by at most a thin layer of clothing, thus allowing arelatively high rate of heat energy transfer through the inner clothlayer to be achieved.

Means for pressing the pockets 11-14 against the user's torso includesthe elasticized side bands 15, 16 and the strap 26 which, in thepreferred embodiment, is adjustably mounted within a dual-slottedappendage of the safety release buckle's clasp element 35 (FIGS. 3through 6). So that the side bands 15, 16 which, by way of example,measure about 6 inches in width can be utilized, in combination with thestrap 26, to provide for a snug fit but also, at the same time, aresufficiently flexible to allow for ease of motion on the part of thevest wearer, the side bands are preferably fabricated from Lycra® oranother spandex fabric commonly utilized in athletic apparel. The lengthof each band 15, 16 depends upon whether the vest 10 is small, medium orlarge in size, with 3 inch long side bands preferably being utilized inthe small size vest, 6 inch long in the medium size and 12 inch long inthe large size.

In use, the vest 10 is held in position relative to the wearer'sshoulders by a pair of shoulder straps 21, 22 (FIGS. 1 and 2). Eachstrap 21, 22 is permanently attached to the mid-section 20 proximatewith the upper edge of the pocket 11, 12, respectively. Distal from themid-section 20, each strap 21, 22, once it has been threaded throughboth slots of a dual-slotted fastener 33, 34, respectively, is nextslideably looped through the upper half of a dual-slotted anchor 31, 32,the lower half of which is connected by a short, looped strap 27, 28 tothe center of the upper edge of the pocket 13, 14 (FIGS. 1 through 6).Thus, the shoulders straps 21, 22 can be adjusted, by increasing or,alternately, decreasing the lengths of the looped portions of theshoulder straps, so as to reposition the vest 10 over a substantialdistance, downwardly or upwardly, relative to the wearer's shoulders ormidriff. The extent to which the looped portions of the straps 21, 22can be elongated is limited by a connecting strap 23 attached to both ofthese straps to keep them from slipping off of the wearer's shoulders(FIG. 2) Nevertheless, the adjustability in the straps 21, 22facilitates the wearer's positioning the vest 10 in such a way as toconcentrate the transfer of heat energy to or, alternately, fromspecific regions within the central core of the wearer's body whichotherwise tend to be too cold in winter and/or too warm in hot weather.

For best results, each of the straps 21, 22, 26 should be adjusted so asto provide a firm fit about the user's torso and, in the process,stretch the elasticized side bands 15, 16 slightly. Also, clothingshould be worn over the vest 10 to enhance its performance. Because theheat-reflective liner 40 is placed on the inside of the outer clothlayer 41 of each pocket 11-14, one can achieve a longer use lifetime forthe gel packs 30 than would otherwise be possible.

Except for the placement of the heat-reflective liner 40 which is to bealways worn on the inside of the outer cloth layer 41 of each pocket11-14, the vest 10 is reversible in character. As a consequence, a usercan wear the vest 10 in such a way that its mid-section 20 is held infront of his chest rather than behind his back. This feature offersspecial advantages for marathon runners and other athletes engaged forhours at a time in strenuous outdoor activities during which they mayencounter abrupt reversals in wind direction and/or 180 degree changesin the direction they must run relative to the wind, sometimes forcingthem to run against a cold wind after they have built up a sweat runningbefore the wind, for example—with all such changes potentially givingrise to adverse physiological effects on an athlete and his performance,but which the vest 10, quickly reversed and worn back to front or viceversa, can help to ameliorate.

1. A vest which a person can wear to keep himself cool in summer, whichcomprises: (a) first and second elasticized side bands and a pluralityof generally rectangular pockets which are interconnected in such a wayas to form an elongated, generally symmetrical array, the arrayincluding a mid-section which is spanned by at least two of the pockets,each contiguous pair of pockets in the mid-section being alignedside-by-side, distal ends of the first and second elasticized side bandsbeing attached to the mid-section and to first and second pockets,respectively, which are disposed proximate with the array's first andsecond terminal ends and which, in use, are spaced apart from themid-section; (b) a releasable fastener and a pair of straps connectingthe releasable fastener to the first and second pockets at pointsthereon which, in the case of the first pocket, are spaced apart fromits juncture with the first elasticized side band by approximately thefirst pocket's width and which, in the case of the second pocket, arespaced apart from its juncture with the second elasticized side band byapproximately the second pocket's width; (c) a plurality of gel packs,the gel packs containing a gel which can absorb heat energy for up tohours at a time once the gel has been activated, at least one gel packbeing mounted within each of the pockets which are then sealed closedprior to use; and (d) means for stretching the first and secondelasticized side bands slightly when the vest is held in place about auser's torso and, in the process, pressing each of the pockets againsthis body, so that heat energy can be transferred efficiently from it tothe gel packs mounted within the pockets.
 2. The vest according to claim1, wherein each of the pockets includes two layers formed of awater-resistant cloth and a heat-reflective liner, the liner beingjuxtaposed between the two water-resistant layers and disposedcontiguous with the inside surface of the water-resistant cloth layerwhich is directed away from the wearer's torso in use, the linerfunctioning as an insulator to conserve some of the heat-absorbentcapacity of the gel contained within each gel pack sealed within each ofthe individual pockets.
 3. The vest according to claim 2, which isfurther characterized as being reversible in that the generallysymmetrical array can be quickly rotated about the wearer's torso andthen worn with the array's mid-section held in front of his chest ratherthan behind his back, all the while keeping the heat-reflective linerwithin each pocket contiguous with the inside of the pocket's outercloth layer, so that a user can reposition the vest to adjust forchanging wind directions and temperatures which he may experience whilehe is engaged in hours-long outdoor activities.
 4. The vest according toclaim 1, which further comprises means, including a pair of shoulderstraps connected to the mid-section and to the first and second pockets,respectively, for adjusting, in a vertical direction relative to thewearer's shoulders, the position of the elongated, generally symmetricalarray when it is held in place about the torso during use, so that byrepositioning the array, the user can concentrate the transfer of heatenergy away from specific regions within the central core of his bodywhich otherwise tend to be too warm in hot weather.
 5. A vest which aperson can wear to keep himself warm in winter, which comprises: (a)first and second elasticized side bands and a plurality of generallyrectangular pockets which are interconnected in such a way as to form anelongated, generally symmetrical array, the array including amid-section which is spanned by at least two of the pockets, eachcontiguous pair of pockets in the mid-section being alignedside-by-side, distal ends of the first and second elasticized side bandsbeing attached to the mid-section and to first and second pockets,respectively, which are disposed proximate with the array's first andsecond terminal ends and which, in use, are spaced apart from themid-section; (b) a releasable fastener and a pair of straps connectingthe releasable fastener to the first and second pockets at pointsthereon which, in the case of the first pocket, are spaced apart fromits juncture with the first elasticized side band by approximately thefirst pocket's width and which, in the case of the second pocket, arespaced apart from its juncture with the second elasticized side band byapproximately the second pocket's width; (c) a plurality of gel packs,the gel packs containing a gel which can release heat energy for up tohours at a time once the gel has been activated, at least one gel packbeing mounted within each of the pockets which are then sealed closedprior to use; and (d) means for stretching the first and secondelasticized side bands slightly when the vest is held in place about auser's torso and, in the process, pressing each of the pockets againsthis body, so that heat energy can be transferred efficiently to it fromthe gel packs mounted within the pockets.
 6. The vest according to claim5, wherein each of the pockets includes two layers formed of awater-resistant cloth and a heat-reflective liner, the liner beingjuxtaposed between the two water-resistant cloth layers and disposedcontiguous with the inside surface of the water-resistant cloth layerwhich is directed away from the wearer's torso in use, the linerfunctioning as an insulator to conserve some of the heat energy storedin the gel contained within each gel pack sealed within each of theindividual pockets.
 7. The vest according to claim 6, which is furthercharacterized as being reversible in that the generally symmetricalarray can be quickly rotated about the wearer's torso and then worn withthe array's mid-section held in front of his chest rather than behindhis back, all the while keeping the heat-reflective liner within eachpocket contiguous with the inside of the pocket's outer cloth layer, sothat a user can reposition the vest to adjust for changing winddirections and temperatures which he may experience while he is engagedin hours-long outdoor activities.
 8. The vest according to claim 5,which further comprises means, including a pair of shoulder strapsconnected to the mid-section and to the first and second pockets,respectively, for adjusting, in a vertical direction relative to thewearer's shoulders, the position of the elongated, generally symmetricalarray when it is held in place about the torso during use, so that byrepositioning the array, the user can concentrate the transfer of heatenergy towards specific regions within the central core of his bodywhich otherwise tend to be too cold in winter weather.